Food Korean - Korean Cuisine

Korea Cuisine

History of Korea

Korean Food History
For hundreds of years, the people of Korea have enjoyed foods from the sea and land. They had grown grains for thousands of years and rice was introduced to many parts of the country as long ago as 2000 BC. The Japanese and Chinese invasions in the 14th through 20th centuries have provided a great influence on the foods of Korea. Much like the Japanese and Chinese, the Korean people have rice with nearly every meal and eat with chopsticks.

About Korean Food

Traditional Korean Foods
The food in Korea is based on noodles, tofu, rice, meats and vegetables. Koreans do not eat as much meat as those in the Western part of the world, largely because red meat is costly so it is often only enjoyed at special occasions. Seafood and chicken is commonly enjoyed and the foods of Korea are often very spicy. Some common seasonings include green onion, soy sauce, red pepper paste, garlic, ginger and bean paste.
Breakfast is traditionally the largest daily meal and often includes a cold soup, fish patties and steamed peppers. One of the most well known meat dishes of Korea is grilled beef. Lunch is often mixed vegetables, potato soup and noodles that are made out of bean flour. Dinner is often rib soup, Korean beef, spinach salad and steamed chicken. All meals are served with white rice.

Korean Dishes

Korean Food Dishes

Gimbap - This is a very common Korean snack. It is made of sesame oil, salt, cooked rice and sesame seeds that are seasoned with sugar and vinegar.

Bulgogi - This is thin sliced or shredded beef that has been marinated in sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, scallions, sugar and black pepper. It is then grilled.

Galbi - This dish is pork or beef ribs that are cooked over charcoal on a metal plate. This dish includes thicker sliced meat than bulgogi and is often referred to as "Korean barbecue".

Dubuseon - This dish is steamed tofu that has been mixed with vegetables and ground beef.

Oritang - This is stew or soup that is made by slowly cooking duck with vegetables.

Bibimbap - This is a dish of rice covered with vegetables such as mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts and carrots, that are then served with beef.

Kimchi - This is a Korean dish made of vegetables and seasonings. It is the most common Korean side dish and is the number one ingredient for other common dishes in Korea including kimchi soup, kimchi fried rice and kimchi stew.

Kimchi bokkeumbap - This is a common dish in South Korea made out of kimchi fried rice and includes chopped meats and vegetables.

Kalguksu - This dish is made up of boiled flat noodles that are in a broth of sliced zucchini and anchovies.

Korean Drink

Korea Drink

Sujeonggwa - This is a traditional fruit punch of Korea. It is dark reddish brown and is made from cinnamon, ginger, peppercorn and persimmons. It is frequently garnished with pine nuts.

Soju - This is an alcoholic drink that tastes much like vodka. It is often made out of rice, but many brands use potato, barley, wheat, tapioca or sweet potato.